G1081 — γέννημα (génnēma)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G1081
Original: γέννημα
Transliteration: génnēma
Pronunciation: ghen'-nay-mah
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: From γεννάω (G1080, gennaō) — "to beget, bring forth, produce"
Occurrences: 9 in NT (across 4 books)
First Occurrence: Matt 3:7 — "O generation (génnēma) of vipers"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From γεννάω (G1080, "to beget, bring forth"). Meaning: offspring; by analogy, produce (literally or figuratively) — that which has been born or produced. Neuter of the verbal form, it designates the product of generation: either biological offspring (idiomatic in "brood/generation of vipers") or the yield/produce of the earth or a plant. The LXX uses it for agricultural produce (e.g., Gen 41:34; Ezek 36:30; Hos 10:12; Lev 25:3), paralleling Hebrew תְּבוּאָה (tevua), פְּרִי (peri), יְבוּל (yevul). It differs from καρπός (G2590, karpos, "fruit as plucked") in emphasizing the thing generated/born rather than the plucked fruit itself.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - 23.57 — Birth, Procreation (offspring sense); also categorized with produce/yield vocabulary

Other words in 23.57: γένεσις (G1078), γενετή (G1079), γεννάω (G1080), γεννητός (G1084), ἀρτιγέννητος (G738), ἔκτρωμα (G1626)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [013] Be, Become, Exist, Happen - [023] Physiological Processes and States - [058] Nature, Class, Example

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
O generation	3	33.3%
fruit	3	33.3%
fruits	2	22.2%
generation	1	11.1%

Two semantic fields dominate: (1) "generation/brood" in the idiom "brood of vipers" (4x), and (2) "fruit/produce" of the earth, vine, or righteousness (5x).

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Matthew	4	0.4
Luke	3	0.3
Mark	1	0.1
2 Corinthians	1	0.4

Usage is exclusively Synoptic + one Pauline. John does not use génnēma. Of the 9 NT occurrences, three (33%) are the specific Synoptic parallel "fruit of the vine" (Matt 26:29 // Mark 14:25 // Luke 22:18) at the Last Supper.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Offspring / Brood (idiom: "brood of vipers")¶

Matt 3:7 — "O generation (génnēma) of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (John the Baptist)
Matt 12:34 — "O generation (génnēma) of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?" (Jesus)
Matt 23:33 — "Ye serpents, ye generation (génnēma) of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Jesus)
Luke 3:7 — parallel to Matt 3:7 (John the Baptist)

Always paired with ἔχιδνα (G2191, echidna, "viper") as genitive of origin — "that which has been produced by vipers."

2. Fruit / Produce of the Vine (Last Supper)¶

Matt 26:29 — "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit (génnēma) of the vine (ámpelos), until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Mark 14:25 — "I will drink no more of the fruit (génnēma) of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Luke 22:18 — "For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit (génnēma) of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come."

All three Synoptic evangelists use the identical construction τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ("the produce of the vine") — a traditional Jewish liturgical phrase (cf. the Passover berakhah borei peri ha-gafen, "who creates the fruit of the vine"). Notably, none of the Synoptics uses οἶνος (G3631, oinos, "wine") in Jesus' cup-saying itself.

3. Agricultural Produce / Yield¶

Luke 12:18 — "there will I bestow all my fruits (génnēma) and my goods" (rich fool parable — harvest stored in barns)
2 Cor 9:10 — "multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits (génnēma) of your righteousness"

Produce as the natural yield of sowing/growing — echoes LXX usage (Gen 41:34; Lev 25:3; Ezek 36:30; Hos 10:12), where génnēma renders Hebrew תְּבוּאָה (tevua, "yield/increase") and related agricultural terms.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
ἔχιδνα (echidna)	G2191	4x (44%)	γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν — "brood of vipers"
λέγω (legō)	G3004	4x (44%)	"I say unto you..." introducing Jesus' solemn declaration
ἄμπελος (ampelos)	G288	3x (33%)	γένημα τῆς ἀμπέλου — "produce of the vine"
βασιλεία (basileia)	G932	3x (33%)	Paired with "kingdom of God/Father" in Last Supper saying
πίνω (pinō)	G4095	3x (33%)	"I will not drink... of the fruit of the vine"
φεύγω (pheugō)	G5343	3x (33%)	"flee from the wrath to come" (viper contexts)
καινός (kainos)	G2537	2x (22%)	"drink it new" — eschatological renewal
ὀργή (orgē)	G3709	2x (22%)	"wrath to come" (John the Baptist)
ἀγαθός (agathos)	G18	2x (22%)	good/evil produce — moral yield

Word Family / Cognates¶

G1080 γεννάω (gennaō) — root verb: to beget, bring forth, be born (97x)
G1078 γένεσις (genesis) — birth, origin, nativity
G1079 γενετή (genetē) — birth (John 9:1)
G1084 γεννητός (gennētos) — "that which is born" (Matt 11:11)
G1085 γένος (genos) — kindred, kind, offspring
G738 ἀρτιγέννητος (artigennētos) — newborn (1 Pet 2:2)

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G1081.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G1081.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
καρπός (karpos)	G2590	"fruit/fruits"	karpos = fruit as plucked/harvested, the visible product on the branch; génnēma = that which has been generated/produced, emphasizing origin and natural yield. Used interchangeably in some contexts but génnēma highlights the vine's own generative action.
ὀπώρα (opōra)	G3703	"fruits" (Rev 18:14)	opōra = late-summer ripe fruit, the harvest season itself
פְּרִי (peri)	H6529	"fruit"	Hebrew equivalent of karpos; the plucked fruit
תְּבוּאָה (tevua)	H8393	"fruits/produce"	Hebrew equivalent of génnēma in LXX — "increase, income, yield"

Hebrew Source (LXX Background)¶

Although the NT does not quote OT passages using génnēma, the LXX establishes its semantic range:

Hebrew Source	Strong's	LXX Usage of génnēma
תְּבוּאָה (tevua)	H8393	"income, produce, yield" (Lev 25:3; Deut 22:9)
יְבוּל (yevul)	H2981	"produce, crop" (Ezek 34:27; Hag 1:10)
פְּרִי (peri)	H6529	"fruit" (occasional, esp. Hos 10:12)
גֶּפֶן (gefen — "vine")	H1612	paired with génnēma in agricultural contexts

The LXX usage centers on agricultural yield, reinforcing that génnēma in the Last Supper saying points to the vine's produce — the grape juice/liquid it generates — rather than specifically denoting a fermented or finished product (which would be oinos).

Synoptic Uniformity Note¶

A distinctive feature: in the Last Supper cup-saying, all three Synoptic evangelists (Matt 26:29, Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18) independently preserve τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου rather than the more common οἶνος (oinos, G3631). This matches the wording of the Jewish Passover berakhah over the cup (borei peri ha-gafen, "creator of the fruit of the vine"), suggesting a preserved liturgical formula. The terminology describes the substance by its botanical origin (the vine's generative produce) rather than by its fermentation state. For comparison of the semantic range of what "fruit of the vine" could denote in first-century Jewish usage, see WG-wine.md and TR-yayin-oinos.md.